Originating in Austria, these cookies are today a part of the traditional Christmas period in many Central European countries. These shortbread cookies are made with lots of butter, ground almonds and dusted in vanilla powdered sugar – they melt in your mouth (and are nice at any other time of the year!)

Preparation time: 20 minutes + 1 hour refrigerating + 15 minutes baking + 10 minutes dusting

What you need:

2 cups (250g) white flour

2 sticks (220g) soft butter (not liquid)

1 cup (100g) ground almonds

½ cup (80g) sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla sugar (you can substitute with 1 tablespoon vanilla essence)

For the sugar coating:

¾ cup powdered sugar

2 packages vanilla sugar (you can order these online)

How to do it:

In a large bowl combine flour, butter and ground almonds. Use your hands to press the dough together and form a bowl. Wrap it in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.

Mix the powdered sugar with the vanilla sugar in a medium size bowl.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

Roll the chilled dough into a log approximately 1 inch (3cm) thick. Cut the log into 1 ½ inch (4cm) pieces and form the pieces into a crescent shape. Place the Vanillekipferl on the baking sheet about 1 inch (2-3 cm) apart.

Bake for 10-15 minutes; the cookies are done when the edges are golden, they should not be brown.

Let the Vanillekipferl cool for about 3 minutes (the should still be slightly warm) and sift the powdered vanilla sugar over the cookies.

Guten Appetit!

Note: These cookies keep fresh for about 4 weeks in an airtight container or tin box